Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Followers of the Forgotten God (12)
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A total of sixteen silver coins from the fallen kingdom.
When combined with those seized from Councilor Vittorio, that was the count they possessed. It might look like just a handful at a glance, but in the hands of a priest who wielded holy spells, it was more than enough to utterly destroy a small city.
Having swiftly finished their business, they returned to the academy annex. Kadim held the silver coins in one hand and asked Ilenia,
"So, what do you plan to do with these?"
"...For now, would you follow me this way? Oh, and Uncle Goatee Beard, please wait outside."
"...".
Duncan scowled with axe-like eyes, but when Ilenia handed him two 1,000 Luden gold coins, his expression softened into a grin right away.
Ilenia slid open the door to the backyard of the annex and stepped inside. Kadim followed, hunching his back to cross the threshold, and a musty smell of mold hit him like a wave.
Old bookshelves and planks were cluttered with tattered ancient documents, books, stone tablets, broken mirrors, and other antiques in disarray. It seemed like a storage room for piling up research materials. He suspected the artifacts she'd carried around when searching for ruins had come from here.
With familiar movements, she navigated the junk to reach a large bookshelf against the wall. Then she extended her hand subtly to Kadim, who followed behind.
"Those silver coins... could you lend them to me for a moment? I need them to create a sanctuary for our conversation and to prepare a token of gratitude."
"...".
"If you're reluctant to just hand them over, I can offer one of my relics as collateral. Though its value pales in comparison, it's the most precious artifact to me personally..."
Kadim waved it off and readily handed over the silver coins from the fallen kingdom—but only half of what he had.
"You said possessing these silver coins allows resistance to dark holy spells, right?"
"...".
"I'll decide whether to give you the other half after hearing what you have to say."
Ilenia gave a wry look but ultimately nodded and accepted the coins. She placed them atop the bookshelf and clasped her hands reverently.
"O primordial darkness buried in the light that deludes all things, forgotten even in name. Do not forsake your servants who wander this land bearing the pain of longing for their lost home. In the dawn that summons calamity, where fleeting respite perishes at break of day, I earnestly beseech you to grant the hem of your garment that evades the eyes surveying the world..."
⟨ Prayer of Concealment ⟩
Woooooong—
As the incantation ended, the silver coins emitted a black glow, and the tightly shut bookshelves opened all at once.
Rumble, rumble, rumbllllle—
At the end of the wooden passage formed by the aligned bookshelves lay darkness.
A pitch-black space where floor, ceiling, and walls were indistinguishable, filled with impenetrable gloom.
"...".
A sense of déjà vu.
The moment Kadim laid eyes on that space, he felt a strange familiarity.
"...Hurry and come in. This sanctuary won't last long."
There was no time to dwell on the sensation. Ilenia, who had gone ahead, was urging him to follow. He set aside his thoughts and trailed after her.
Rumble, rumble, rumbllllle, thunk!
No sooner had he stepped in than the bookshelves closed on their own. The sanctuary was consumed by pure darkness. Not even a speck of light existed, leaving no room for dark adaptation—a complete world of blackness.
The absence of light didn't persist for long.
Fwoosh—!
From somewhere, Ilenia lit a single candle. Dim shadows draped over the gloomy hideout. The Atalain and the archaeologist sealed their lips tightly, merely gazing at each other's faces in the faint glow.
Ilenia broke the silence first.
"Thank you for cooperating, Kadim. Speaking the truth outside could have endangered both you and us. But here, we can evade the 'eyes that survey' for a little while."
Ilenia brushed her thick hair behind her ear. Her tone, expression, and demeanor had become far more emotionless and businesslike than outside. Yet to Kadim, this felt more natural, as if she had shed her mask.
"...There are too many questions; I don't even know where to start."
"...".
"Let's begin with reintroductions. What is your true identity and name?"
The woman known as Ilenia—or by many other names, or perhaps by none at all—placed a hand over her chest and bowed at the waist.
"I've been rude by not properly introducing myself until now, Kadim. As you may have guessed, I am also a priestess serving the Forgotten God. However, unlike heretics like the Night Raven faction, I belong to the orthodox sect that interprets the divine revelations without distortion and upholds His will purely."
"...".
"And forgive me, but priests of the Forgotten God cult do not originally possess names. Our god has lost even His divine name; we deemed it irreverent for mere followers to bear names. Still, for convenience in addressing me, please continue calling me 'Ilenia' if it suits you."
That her true identity was a priestess of the Forgotten God cult was somewhat expected. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so knowledgeable about the cult's affairs or carry sacred relics like the silver coins of the fallen kingdom.
The remaining question was this.
"Then explain why your faction hid itself and aided me in such roundabout ways."
"...".
"Is it because of that 'revelation' by any chance?"
Ilenia pondered before asking cautiously,
"To explain the circumstances in detail, I'll need some background. From how the Forgotten God lost His name up to the present—may I explain sequentially?"
Kadim nodded curtly. Ilenia gathered her thoughts and carefully began.
"In the past, the Lucaonia Empire... no, it was the Lucaonia Kingdom then. After the Lucaonia Kingdom achieved theocracy with the Elga Church, their first act was to invade the land of the Forgotten God."
"...".
"Their banner was light and order. Naturally, we who venerate darkness and chaos were just and appetizing prey. Under the blades of holy knights who mistook slaughter for righteous justice, tens of thousands—from infants to the elderly—were massacred. The rats and crows of that land ate so many corpses that they no longer feared humans."
Suddenly, Kadim recalled his first-playthrough companion, Gordon.
That hearty, laughter-filled priest was undoubtedly a just and fair man. Yet even he had been quite uncomfortable regarding the Forgotten God and His followers.
Light and darkness cannot coexist. If even a righteous priest felt that way, it was obvious how power-mad Arch Paladins and other holy knights had acted. That didn't justify the massacre, though...
Ilenia lifted her eyes, which held the candle's flame like a sliver. As if comforting the souls of ancestors burned away by overly bright light.
"We don't know exactly what trick the Elga priests used. In any case, they destroyed the nation and sealed the Forgotten God's divine name. Because of that, the priests who forgot the god's name lost most of their holy power. Much like shamans of the wilderness who mysteriously lost their divine abilities..."
"...".
"The priests sealed what holy power remained into offerings like the 'silver coins of the fallen kingdom' and scattered across the continent with the surviving followers. They searched desperately for a way to reclaim the divine name. But in the meantime, Lucaonia became an empire, and the Elga Church grew even stronger. For centuries, we achieved no clear results."
"...".
"Then, about twenty years ago... a single 'revelation' came from the Forgotten God."
The content of that revelation was as follows.
Ilenia added supplementary explanations to the revelation.
'Great evil' referred to the great demon of the previous demonic calamity, 'three bells' idiomatically meant 300 years, 'impure blood' was demon blood, and 'halo rising in the heavens' symbolized Elga and his followers...
"In other words, this interpretation means that the one who will destroy the demons and the Elga Church is coming soon, and the Forgotten God has given us the mission to aid him secretly."
"...".
"Most factions believed following this mission was the path to saving the world and reclaiming the lost divine name. Thus, over the years, we steadily prepared aid for you. Though the Night Raven faction's bishop fell into misguided conviction and misinterpreted it as a revelation about the 'source of disaster'..."
Kadim's brow twitched in spasm.
"So... you're saying the 'blood-soaked warrior' in that revelation is me?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"How can you be so certain? The world is full of blood-drenched warriors."
"Because you... are absolutely different from any common warrior."
"What makes you say that? Do you know who I am?"
"Kadim. Son of the wilderness. Atala's great warrior who knows no fear. Blood Berserker who drinks demon blood and claims its power. Leader who gathered the hero party that slayed the great demon. And the one who has crossed three hundred years to begin a second journey."
Kadim stared at the nameless woman tepidly.
Ilenia could see it. Something was surging in the abyss-like void of his pupils. It was wariness toward one who knew too much, an unstable and intense emotion that could erupt into destructive explosion at the slightest trigger.
Thus, Ilenia quickly added,
"You must be wondering how we know all this. But I'm sorry; I cannot reveal the reason. This place isn't absolutely safe either. If too much time passes or I divulge too many facts, the 'eyes that survey' will surely find us."
"...".
"But I swear on the Forgotten God, we are doing our utmost to help you. We sought gifts you needed and endured bone-deep sacrifices to place them aptly in your journey. Many priests froze to death in the north searching for dwarven relics, and I myself wandered the wilderness chasing ruin steles, enduring all sorts of hardships..."
"...".
"Of course, bearing this mission was our chosen path. We have no intention of blaming you. But please, I beg you... understand our circumstances with your broad magnanimity. If only to continue aiding you in the future..."
Kadim set aside his hostility for now. Though doubts lingered, it was true he'd greatly benefited from their gifts. He relaxed his tensed muscles slightly and asked,
"Still, I'd like to know what those 'eyes that survey' are."
"...Before that, could you hand over the remaining silver coins right now?"
"...?"
"I'm sorry, but time is truly running out. To create the promised token of gratitude, I need more holy power. Before the 'eyes that survey' arrive, let me make the gift first..."
Mid-sentence, Ilenia froze stiff.
Suddenly, a beam of light pierced the space. A radiance incomparably brighter than the mere candle.
Kadim looked to the source of the light. High above, a distinct hole pierced the black canvas-like darkness, as if inked over, and unfamiliar yet brilliant light intruded through it.
The sun.
The sun rose, tearing through the sanctuary's darkness.
Kuoooooo...
It was not the usual sun. It cast no warm rays; instead, it greedily extended beams of light, devouring the darkness. Swept by the glow like a ravenous predator, the sanctuary crumbled rapidly.
Ilenia momentarily lost her composure and dropped the candle.
Kadim furrowed his brow. And he intuited it. That sun was the 'eyes that survey' Ilenia feared. Being caught in that light would bring nothing pleasant.
He moved on instinct.
"Ngh!"
He wrapped an arm around Ilenia's waist, tucked her in, and dashed to the opposite side away from the light. Only upon reaching the still-dark shadow did he set her down and press the silver coins into her hand.
"Can you make another sanctuary like this with these coins?"
"...Pardon?"
"Didn't you create the sanctuary with those coins at first? Making another one should let us evade that light."
"Ah, no, that's impossible... The holy power in the coins was merely fuel. This sanctuary was possible only because I'd prepared it meticulously over a long time."
"Then can you make a barrier or something? To block that light's intrusion, even if just for a moment."
"...".
Ilenia glanced to the opposite side. The light was encroaching on the darkness far too quickly. Even spreading a veil of darkness wouldn't hold for long.
She slowly shook her head. Instead of a veil, she borrowed the coins' holy power to create the promised 'token of gratitude' and handed it over. Kadim, interpreting this as "take it and leave," hardened his expression coldly.
But that was hasty.
Ilenia judged that, in the long term, revealing the truth despite the great risk was better. Gaining Kadim's trust was crucial. He was the one pointed to by the revelation, the warrior who would one day topple that halo and reclaim the Forgotten God's divine name.
She steadied her breath and softly parted her lips.
"Have you ever heard, Kadim... the saying that 'the sun is Elga's eye surveying the world'?"
"...I've heard it."
"That tale is half-true. The light invading this sanctuary now, and the sun traversing the heavens daily—its true nature is the eye of the god of light and order, Elga."
"...".
"Elga eternally watches the world obsessively with that brilliant eye. To find those who defy His will, those who reveal truths that must not be uncovered, and deliver 'divine punishment'... That's why we could only aid you secretly, concealing our identities."
Kadim nearly scoffed. What kind of tale straight out of myth was this? Without evidence, he'd have dismissed it as nonsense.
But with such clear proof before his eyes, denial was impossible.
"...You said half-true? Then what's false about that tale?"
Ilenia closed her eyes and placed a hand over them. A gesture akin to crossing oneself in other faiths.
Speaking this now would surely invite unavoidable divine punishment.
But still inside the sanctuary, she might survive with luck.
After agonizing, the priestess of the Forgotten God finally spat out the truth.
"The master of that eye, and the god the Elga Church serves now... is not Elga."
"...".
"You saw beings yesterday that wore my likeness but were not me—false duplicates. Similarly, that god—no, that thing—is merely a 'false entity' masquerading as Elga, cloaked in His shell."
"...".
"The ultimate goal of our Forgotten God cult is... to defeat that 'false entity' and reclaim the true Elga's and Forgotten God's divine names."
As she finished speaking, the ceiling's light erupted in wrathful flames beyond mortal endurance.
―――― Kuuuuuuuu...
The absolute one's light delivering punishment to unbelievers. Judgment's annihilation devouring the darkness. The death knell daylight heralding the end of respite and secrets.
The moment all darkness vanished and the entire space was seized by light.
――――――――― Crack—Boom!!
A beam of light surged like a sharp spear blade, piercing Ilenia's flesh.